Pastor Joe, Who Should I Vote For?
“Pastor Joe, who should I vote for?” It’s a question I’ve heard more than once, but how do we, as Christians, approach politics without losing sight of our greater calling? In this blog post, I share two biblical filters that guide my voting decisions and two challenges for living out your faith during politically divisive times.
Every Story Counts Resources
This past weekend our church hosted our second Equip Leaders Conference. The theme this year was "Every Story Counts". The theme was birthed out of conversations with our Equip Team (discipleship) as we have worked to develop a clearer discipleship pathway. At one...
Finding Joy in Unexpected News: Reflections on Special Needs Friendships
Today, something unexpected happened that took me by surprise. I was meeting with a friend who shared that her daughter and son-in-law were expecting another child. She mentioned that they recently learned the child has Down syndrome. One might assume my response...
5 Fresh Ideas For Your Personal Bible Study
If you've ever gone to church, you’ve probably heard about the importance of spending regular time with Jesus in Bible study and prayer. Maybe you’re a "Bible in a Year" person, but I’m not. Over the years, I’ve tried a lot of different approaches to my quiet time,...
Parenting in a World of Games, Practices, and Expectations.
Sunday night we hosted our second of 4 nights of prayer and worship aimed at setting our affections and hopes upon God in 2024. My wife and I were blessed to meet a gentleman named Kevin and his 4th grade daughter. I was so blessed by the the fact that Kevin brought...
Turning Up Our Gratitude
This week our journey through Exodus continues as the Israelites find themselves trapped between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea, seemingly without any human escape route. We’ve highlighted the symbolic significance of the location – emphasizing the impossibility of the situation. Despite their predicament, we were reminded that God intentionally led the Israelites to this point, illustrating that God’s guidance doesn’t always lead to comfort but often to situations that test faith.
God’s Providence In the Books I Never Read
I have a problem. Do you ever find yourself buying books but never quite getting around to reading them? It's a dilemma I'm all too familiar with. Of course, it's not every book on my shelves, but a good number of them. Countless visitors have walked into my office,...